Prepare for major cholera outbreak, government warns
Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu yesterday warned of a possible outbreak of cholera across the country following a survey showing that the disease has already hit four regions.
What you need to know:
- So far, six people have died and at least 458 suspected cholera cases have been reported in the past month. Ms Mwalimu yesterday asked regional health authorities to enforce hygiene by-laws and launch campaigns to create public awareness on the waterborne disease.
- She noted that the number of regions that have been affected by the outbreak has been increasing. They were initially four in October and by November they went up to six, she said, warning of a possible outbreak in other regions,
Dar es Salaam. Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu yesterday warned of a possible outbreak of cholera across the country following a survey showing that the disease has already hit four regions.
So far, six people have died and at least 458 suspected cholera cases have been reported in the past month. Ms Mwalimu yesterday asked regional health authorities to enforce hygiene by-laws and launch campaigns to create public awareness on the waterborne disease.
She noted that the number of regions that have been affected by the outbreak has been increasing. They were initially four in October and by November they went up to six, she said, warning of a possible outbreak in other regions,
“The report released in October shows that only six councils in four regions were affected by cholera, but the new report shows that from November 01 to 30, at least 14 councils recorded cases of the disease,” she noted.
The report shows that the most affected regions are: Morogoro (282 cases), Dodoma (96 cases), Mara (31 cases), Kigoma (30 cases), Arusha (11 cases) and Dar es Salaam (8 cases).
She said that poor sanitation and the mushrooming of street food vendors were among the factors fuelling the spread of the scourge. The minister asked people to remain on alert, use treated drinking water and keep their homes clean.
“I am asking the regional health officials to make sure each household has at least one modern toilet. Some people have the tendency to pollute water sources, something that increases the spread of the disease,” she said.
The minister’s warning comes after health authorities last month warned Mwanza residents of the existence of cholera in the region despite efforts to tame it.
The warning was issued following reports that some regions including Morogoro, Mara and Kigoma had reported cases of the disease.
Given the contagious nature of the cholera, health officials had cautioned that if people were not careful, it was just a matter of time before the disease spread to other regions.
At same occasion, a Health ministry official, Mr Stephen Kiberiti, noted that the ministry in collaboration with other government units and development partners would continue to guard sources of water against pollution originating from the industries and human related activities.
“We will continue to make sure that substances generated from industries don’t end up harming human beings. However, it is obvious that some industries produce dangerous chemicals, but I just want to let you know that we will continue to enforce the necessary by-laws in an effort to combat spread of diseases,” he noted.
